Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Aug 17: New information about the phone tapping of politicians and opposition leaders which has turned into a major controversy now is coming out with each passing day.

It is said that one such instrument was kept at the residence of an assistant commissioner of police, who is currently posted with the central crime branch (CCB) here. It is said that CCB currently has the facility to tap 300 phones at a time.

The police department is in possession of several such machines. These machines are used to keep tab on illegal activities of the underworld and others in order to maintain law and order situation. The current investigation is about the misuse of this machinery.

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It is said that during the last three months during which phones were tapped, one of the machines was taken to his home by an assistant police commissioner. This issue has come to the notice of senior officers in the department and they are investigating.

Rules say that the investigating officer to whom a crime is allotted for investigation can alone overhear the conversations of specific telephone numbers relating to that particular crime and not otherwise. But it is said that the CCB officer mentioned above was overhearing conversations of other numbers also through the device he had brought home.

Reports say that from the time investigation into telephone tapping began, police inspector, Malatesh, who was on duty in the technical division of CCB has not been available for contact. At the moment when the investigation was to start, he had left for three days in the guise of personal work but has not returned. His cellphone is switched off and he is not available for contact by officials, it is said.

The government has now instructed the officials to strictly abide by the rules on phone tapping if resorted to. It is said that it has asked the concerned to prepare a report if rules have been violated.